Life Beyond Barriers, which is based in downtown Detroit, specializes in combining medicine, science, engineering and entrepreneurship to enhance the quality of life for the injured and disabled. The 1-year-old organization is a partnership between Wayne State University and Urban Science. Life Beyond Barriers shares space with Urban Science in the Renaissance Center. It currently employs seven people.

The Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery specializes rehabilitation for spinal cord injury victims at a world-class facility designed to implement and study innovative treatments.

"The dominant factor here is we are all passionate about helping people," says Sandy Burns, director of the Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group. "We can problem solve together and create a prototype that is a win-win."

The Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery will serve as a field laboratory for Life Beyond Barriers, giving the organization direct access to a specific group of people. The center will be rebranded as the Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group and retain the center’s expert staff.

"This is best-in-class service," says Blake Mathie, vice president of operations for Life Beyond Barriers. "The work that Sandy and her team perform on a daily basis is life-changing."

Source: Blake Mathie, vice president of operations for Life Beyond Barriers and Sandy Burns, director of the Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

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